Lynne Featherstone, a junior minister at the Department for International Development (DFID), was in Winchester yesterday (February 4) to hear a presentation on their efforts to reduce infant mortality in South Sudan, the world’s newest country.

The team of volunteers consisted of midwives, doctors, surgeons, as well as ‘fixers’ – volunteers who helped with maintenance work at the hospital in the city of Yei, in the far south of the country, and outlying primary care centres.

Peter Kemp, a product manager from Bursledon, travelled to Yei as a fixer with his wife Terri, a midwife at RHCH. Mr Kemp said: “It was very basic out there. It was quite challenging but also quite satisfying. With the work I was doing I was tucked away, but some of the conditions in things like the operating theatres were quite upsetting and quite distressing.”

The coalition’s policy of continuing high-levels of overseas aid has sparked fierce debate, but Ms Featherstone said the DIFD grants used to fund the project were essential.

“Anyone who thinks the government aid programme should somehow not be spent, let them come here and talk to the volunteers at the RHCH.

“People say ‘what about people struggling in this country’, and of course that’s an incredible challenge. But when you go to South Sudan and see what it’s like, you see there’s no comparison. It’s making an incredible difference,” she said.

Winchester and Chandler’s Ford MP Steve Brine said after the meeting: “UK aid is about so much more than money and this is an excellent example of that. We have some highly trained and motivated health professionals in Winchester and I for one am really proud they are able to travel to other parts of the world and literally save lives.”

Paediatric consultant Simon Struthers, who co-led the team of volunteers in November, said: “Clearly we go out there to help, but people coming back are then better able to cope with adversity, to cope with change and they are invigorated. You can get stale but this kind of thing gives them added belief about the value of care.”

Formal links between the RHCH and the hospital Yei were established in 2010, since when there have been five trips.

Comments

wackyracer
7:24pm Tue 5 Feb 13

Yes we all are aware of people in more need than us, but sending nurses,midwives,doct
ors,consultants to Sudan at a time when people here are being denied certain treatments and operations because of cuts is a nonsense. The personnel mentioned being 'stale' here, perhaps they're doing doing enough work here

Yes we all are aware of people in more need than us, but sending nurses,midwives,doct
ors,consultants to Sudan at a time when people here are being denied certain treatments and operations because of cuts is a nonsense. The personnel mentioned being 'stale' here, perhaps they're doing doing enough work herewackyracer

Yes we all are aware of people in more need than us, but sending nurses,midwives,doct
ors,consultants to Sudan at a time when people here are being denied certain treatments and operations because of cuts is a nonsense. The personnel mentioned being 'stale' here, perhaps they're doing doing enough work here

Score: 0

Yves1977
11:16am Wed 6 Feb 13

wackyracer wrote…

Yes we all are aware of people in more need than us, but sending nurses,midwives,doct

ors,consultants to Sudan at a time when people here are being denied certain treatments and operations because of cuts is a nonsense. The personnel mentioned being 'stale' here, perhaps they're doing doing enough work here

Why dont you read the story? They were volunteers. They were not 'sent' to Sudan. They went in their own time.

[quote][p][bold]wackyracer[/bold] wrote:
Yes we all are aware of people in more need than us, but sending nurses,midwives,doct
ors,consultants to Sudan at a time when people here are being denied certain treatments and operations because of cuts is a nonsense. The personnel mentioned being 'stale' here, perhaps they're doing doing enough work here[/p][/quote]Why dont you read the story? They were volunteers. They were not 'sent' to Sudan. They went in their own time.Yves1977

wackyracer wrote…

Yes we all are aware of people in more need than us, but sending nurses,midwives,doct

ors,consultants to Sudan at a time when people here are being denied certain treatments and operations because of cuts is a nonsense. The personnel mentioned being 'stale' here, perhaps they're doing doing enough work here

Why dont you read the story? They were volunteers. They were not 'sent' to Sudan. They went in their own time.

Score: 0

nussie
8:20pm Wed 6 Feb 13

agreed the midwives and doctors that took part in establishing the link were volunteers, they chose to go and should be commended for the work they have done. perhaps you should carry out a little research of your own and see how many women and newborns die in south Sudan because of the lack of adequate medical care! when was the last time you had a relative who had a baby? i bet they didn't have to travel for days to reach the hospital by foot!
if you have never experience life in a developing country such as Sudan, perhaps it is about time to broaden your horizons or keep your opinions to yourself!

agreed the midwives and doctors that took part in establishing the link were volunteers, they chose to go and should be commended for the work they have done. perhaps you should carry out a little research of your own and see how many women and newborns die in south Sudan because of the lack of adequate medical care! when was the last time you had a relative who had a baby? i bet they didn't have to travel for days to reach the hospital by foot!
if you have never experience life in a developing country such as Sudan, perhaps it is about time to broaden your horizons or keep your opinions to yourself!nussie

agreed the midwives and doctors that took part in establishing the link were volunteers, they chose to go and should be commended for the work they have done. perhaps you should carry out a little research of your own and see how many women and newborns die in south Sudan because of the lack of adequate medical care! when was the last time you had a relative who had a baby? i bet they didn't have to travel for days to reach the hospital by foot!
if you have never experience life in a developing country such as Sudan, perhaps it is about time to broaden your horizons or keep your opinions to yourself!

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